Conveyor belt systems are used in a variety of industries around the world to transport large quantities of material effectively and efficiently. Physical damage to a conveyor belt or some other reduction in belt strength can cause the transport of material to stop. This may lead to delays and significant monetary losses in manufacturing, distribution, or other facilities.
The condition of a conveyor belt is often monitored by manual physical inspection of the conveyor belt. However, this approach has a number of shortcomings. For example, manual physical inspection is typically a time consuming and tedious process, particularly if a conveyor belt needs to be run over a long distance (such as several kilometers) during each inspection. Also, it may not be possible to inspect the conveyor belt at all points along its length. In addition, a conveyor belt may be damaged in between physical inspections, and the damage may go undetected for an extended period of time.